To trade or not to trade
by Fiona Hodge
Our front page story generated quite a bit of interest this week and, I was actually quite surprised at the number of people who came out in support of Beckworth's decision to close over the Jubilee Bank holiday Monday and Tuesday.
Bank Holidays are like the Holy Grail for the DIY and garden industry - especially when accompanied by a spot of sunshine - but maybe in this instance, Beckworth has got it right. With street parties and celebrations planned up and down the country, will the nation really have a burning desire to head out and hit the high street or nearest retail park? In fact, will anyone be in a fit state to drive, if alcohol promotions in supermarkets are anything to go by?
Of course, there will still always be those who would rather use the extra time off work to spruce up the garden or give the spare bedroom a lick of paint, and those, of course, are the customers retailers are hoping to make the most of during the period. But will they be out in force on the Monday and Tuesday and make the cost of opening worthwhile?
To trade or not to trade - it's a tough call, and one Beckworth had to make early on in the year to give customers and staff plenty of notice, so it will be interesting to see if it pays off for the business. While 50% of our online readers were appalled by the idea of closing on a Bank Holiday in a key trading season, nearly 40% took the view that their customers will be too busy celebrating to think about shopping. And let's face it, there is still the weekend leading up to the Bank Holiday and the half-term holiday after, so retailers are likely to cash in either way.
The refreshing thing about the story is the fact that the centre was keen to reward staff with the days off to celebrate a historic British event with their friends and family, rather leaving them stuck on a shopfloor on the off chance that someone decides to pop in for a bag of compost or a hanging basket. This morale booster will no doubt pay dividends to the employer in the future and Beckworth, which trades seven days a week, is likely to welcome flexibility when it comes to staff hours.
At a time when many are still struggling and employees are often being worked harder for less, maybe a couple of days off to celebrate with the rest of the UK is just what the industry needs.
Whether you're trading or not, here's hoping for a spell of good weather and a great Jubilee Bank Holiday for all.
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By Russell Buckley MD Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd
If DIY shops opened on Xmas day and Easter Sunday believe me poeple will shop in them, in my 28 yrs of retailing I have experienced such people banging on doors on Boxing day morning at 9.30am.
I work six days a week running my small family business, I close on bank holidays and sundays and these are the only times I get to go and look and buy from such stores. I can understand and appreciate smaller retailers closing on bank holidays but when you are larger & have staff there should be no need to as a rota can be put in place when one can work the monday and the other on tuesday. I know staff need to be happy as well and also have families and enjoy time off but employees get annual holidays and days in lieu, it is very important in this current financial climate to maximaise every sales opportunity. And of course not all workers will want to have that particular day off.
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28/05/2012 10:24:00
To Trade or Not to TradeBy Russell Buckley MD Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd
If DIY shops opened on Xmas day and Easter Sunday believe me poeple will shop in them, in my 28 yrs of retailing I have experienced such people banging on doors on Boxing day morning at 9.30am.
I work six days a week running my small family business, I close on bank holidays and sundays and these are the only times I get to go and look and buy from such stores. I can understand and appreciate smaller retailers closing on bank holidays but when you are larger & have staff there should be no need to as a rota can be put in place when one can work the monday and the other on tuesday. I know staff need to be happy as well and also have families and enjoy time off but employees get annual holidays and days in lieu, it is very important in this current financial climate to maximaise every sales opportunity. And of course not all workers will want to have that particular day off.
